Poor Brothers of St. Francis
Encyclopedia
The Poor Brothers of St. Francis Seraphicus are a congregation of lay brother
s of the Third Order of St. Francis
, instituted for charitable work among orphan
boys and for youth education.
, Germany, 1816, who was a schoolmaster at Breidt and Aachen
. Through the influence of Mary Frances Schervier
, foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor of St Francis, Hoever, at Christmas, 1857, dedicated himself with four others to the service of God and of abandoned men.
In 1860 the Brothers obtained a home at Aachen. In the following year (5 January) Cardinal Geissel, Archbishop of Cologne, approved the new congregation. When Hoever died in 1864, it had twenty-six members and some postulants.
; Detroit, Michigan
; Thenville, Kentucky; and Cincinnati, Ohio
). The Kulturkampf
meant that in 1876-77 they had to give up all their houses in Prussia
. They retired to Blyerheide on the Dutch frontier, where the new mother-house was erected.
After 1888 the Brothers were allowed to return to Prussia, and different houses were founded; Hohenhof
in Upper Silesia
, 1891; Dormagen
on the Rhine, 1902, etc.; in Belgium at Voelkerich, 1900; in the Netherlands at Roermond
, 1903. The constitutions of the Poor Brothers were approved by Pope Pius X
in 1910.
Lay brother
In the most common usage, lay brothers are those members of Catholic religious orders, particularly of monastic orders, occupied primarily with manual labour and with the secular affairs of a monastery or friary, in contrast to the choir monks of the same monastery who are devoted mainly to the...
s of the Third Order of St. Francis
Third Order of St. Francis
The Third Order of St. Francis is a third order within the Franciscan movement of the Roman Catholic Church. It includes both congregations of vowed men and women and fraternities of men and women living standard lives in the world, usually married...
, instituted for charitable work among orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
boys and for youth education.
Foundation
The founder was Philip Hoever, in religion Br Johannes Hoever , born at Obersthöhe, near CologneCologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany, 1816, who was a schoolmaster at Breidt and Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
. Through the influence of Mary Frances Schervier
Mary Frances Schervier
Blessed Mary Frances Schervier, was the foundress of two religious congregations of Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, both committed to serving the neediest of the poor. One, the Poor Sisters of St...
, foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor of St Francis, Hoever, at Christmas, 1857, dedicated himself with four others to the service of God and of abandoned men.
In 1860 the Brothers obtained a home at Aachen. In the following year (5 January) Cardinal Geissel, Archbishop of Cologne, approved the new congregation. When Hoever died in 1864, it had twenty-six members and some postulants.
Later history
In 1869 the institution received a Catholic orphanage at Moabit, Berlin, and from 1866 it spread in the United States (Teutopolis, IllinoisTeutopolis, Illinois
Teutopolis is a village in Effingham County, Illinois.-Geography:Teutopolis is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land.-History:...
; Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
; Thenville, Kentucky; and Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
). The Kulturkampf
Kulturkampf
The German term refers to German policies in relation to secularity and the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, enacted from 1871 to 1878 by the Prime Minister of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck. The Kulturkampf did not extend to the other German states such as Bavaria...
meant that in 1876-77 they had to give up all their houses in Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
. They retired to Blyerheide on the Dutch frontier, where the new mother-house was erected.
After 1888 the Brothers were allowed to return to Prussia, and different houses were founded; Hohenhof
Hohenhof
Hohenhof is a 1908-built Art Nouveau villa, located within Gartenstadt Hohenhagen in the city of Hagen, Germany. The villa was designed by Belgian architect Henry van de Velde as a Gesamtkunstwerk - incorporating shell, accessories, furnishings, landscape and all into the building's design.The...
in Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
, 1891; Dormagen
Dormagen
Dormagen is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany in the Rhein-Kreis Neuss.-Geography:Dormagen is situated between Düsseldorf – Cologne – Mönchengladbach on the western bank of the river Rhine.-Division of the town:...
on the Rhine, 1902, etc.; in Belgium at Voelkerich, 1900; in the Netherlands at Roermond
Roermond
Roermond is a city, a municipality, and a diocese in the southeastern part of the Netherlands.The city of Roermond is a historically important town, on the lower Roer at the east bank of the Meuse river. It received city rights in 1231...
, 1903. The constitutions of the Poor Brothers were approved by Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X
Pope Saint Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914. He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox...
in 1910.